Truck licence testers in N.L. can't drive trucks themselves, says instructor
Ray Skinner worries lack of experienced examiners could have tragic consequences
A driving instructor at the College of the North Atlantic says he was stunned to learn examiners testing truck drivers for Class 1 licences aren't required to hold the licence themselves — and says that should change.
Ray Skinner told CBC he learned there was no requirement when he had some examiners shadow him to pick up tips on how to administer and evaluate the Class 1 test.
"It shocked me," said Ray Skinner, who teaches the commercial driver program at the college's Stephenville campus.
"I couldn't get my head wrapped around the fact that somebody without a Class 1 licence could actually road test, and give, a Class 1 licence for a vehicle that has the potential to take lives. And has, if you follow the news," he said.
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Class 1 licence holders can drive commercial tractor trailers. Service NL declined an interview on the subject, but in a statement said all provincial driver examiners are trained to evaluate all types of drivers' licences.
"This includes training provided by experienced commercial drivers (with Class 1 licences) who train the examiners in the evaluation of commercial driving licences," said the statement, in part.
Service NL said the job shadowing Skinner recounted is not the norm for its examiners.
The department did not respond to a request from CBC to reveal how many examiners actually hold a Class 1 themselves.
Inexperienced evaluators
Skinner worries that unlicenced examiners aren't equipped to truly evaluate skills or respond to emergencies.
"I think they should be an experienced driver, that's No. 1, because you know what to look for," he told CBC Radio's Corner Brook Morning Show.
"If anything were to happen on the road during your road test, there's really no way that a motor vehicle examiner could probably get that truck pulled over safely, having no knowledge of the equipment or how to operate it."
Somebody needs to start saying something.- Ray Skinner
Skinner said his students spend 13 weeks behind the wheel, first driving in secured sites before moving onto the open highway. The examiners who shadowed him did so for a few days.
Fatal consequences
Skinner pointed to April's tragic crash in Saskatchewan as an example of how crucial properly trained and evaluated commercial drivers are.
Sixteen people connected to the Humboldt Broncos hockey team were killed after a semi-trailer truck collided with a bus, and the truck driver now faces multiple charges of dangerous driving causing death.
"To know that an entire community was devastated, because of an incident where somebody was behind the wheel and kinda didn't know what they were doing, it just makes you stop and think. It's time for a change to be made," Skinner said.
"I've seen how much damage these vehicles can do. And I want to be part of a trend that advocates for better training."
Skinner said change has to be implemented at the provincial government level.
"It's not going to happen overnight, but I feel somebody needs to start saying something."
With files from The Corner Brook Morning Show